Sometimes, people talk about justice when something seems fair or unfair. You might hear it at school, in stories, or even in the news. But instead of always using the word “justice,” people often use special phrases called idioms. These idioms help make ideas sound more interesting or easier to understand. They can show when someone wants fairness, gets what they deserve, or stands up for what’s right.
Idioms don’t always mean exactly what the words say. They have a hidden meaning that you figure out from how they’re used. In this article, we’ll learn fun and useful idioms people use when they talk about justice. You’ll also get to try a quiz and see how well you remember what you learn. Let’s begin our look into these helpful phrases.
Idioms for Justice
1. Bring to justice
Meaning: Catch and punish someone who did something wrong.
Within a Sentence: The police worked hard to bring the thief to justice. / The judge brought the criminal to justice.
In Other Words: Punish the person who broke the law.
2. Justice is served
Meaning: The right thing happened after something wrong.
Within a Sentence: When the bully got detention, justice was served. / She felt justice was served when the truth came out.
In Other Words: What’s fair happened.
3. Face the music
Meaning: Accept the punishment for what you did wrong.
Within a Sentence: He had to face the music after cheating on the test. / She broke the rules and had to face the music.
In Other Words: Take the blame or punishment.
4. Get what’s coming
Meaning: Receive the result of your actions, good or bad.
Within a Sentence: He was mean for days and finally got what was coming. / She was caught lying and got what was coming.
In Other Words: Got what they deserved.
5. Pay the price
Meaning: Suffer the result of a bad choice.
Within a Sentence: He didn’t study and paid the price with a bad grade. / She broke the rules and paid the price.
In Other Words: Faced the result of a bad action.
6. The tables turned
Meaning: The situation changed in favor of someone who was losing.
Within a Sentence: He was losing the game, but then the tables turned. / The mean kid got caught when the tables turned.
In Other Words: The underdog got ahead.
7. What goes around comes around
Meaning: If you do bad things, bad things will happen to you later.
Within a Sentence: He was unkind to others, and now he’s alone, what goes around comes around. / She lied, and now people don’t trust her.
In Other Words: You get what you give.
8. Right the wrong
Meaning: Fix something unfair or bad.
Within a Sentence: He said sorry to right the wrong. / They helped fix the problem to right the wrong.
In Other Words: Make things fair again.
9. Fair and square
Meaning: Honest and fair.
Within a Sentence: He won the race fair and square. / She got the award fair and square.
In Other Words: Honestly and without cheating.
10. Day in court
Meaning: A chance to explain your side of the story.
Within a Sentence: Everyone should get their day in court. / He wanted a day in court to prove he was right.
In Other Words: Chance to tell your side.
11. Lay down the law
Meaning: Set rules and expect them to be followed.
Within a Sentence: Mom laid down the law about bedtime. / The teacher laid down the law about homework.
In Other Words: Gave clear rules.
12. Hold accountable
Meaning: Make someone take responsibility.
Within a Sentence: He was held accountable for breaking the window. / They held her accountable for lying.
In Other Words: Made responsible.
13. Crime doesn’t pay
Meaning: Doing bad things doesn’t lead to good results.
Within a Sentence: He learned that crime doesn’t pay after getting caught. / She found out that cheating doesn’t pay.
In Other Words: Bad actions have bad results.
14. Put on trial
Meaning: Test or judge someone for something wrong.
Within a Sentence: The man was put on trial for stealing. / She was put on trial for breaking the rules.
In Other Words: Judged for wrong actions.
15. Throw the book at
Meaning: Give someone the biggest punishment allowed.
Within a Sentence: The judge threw the book at the robber. / They threw the book at the student who cheated again.
In Other Words: Gave strong punishment.
16. Above the law
Meaning: Think you don’t have to follow rules.
Within a Sentence: He acted like he was above the law. / Nobody should feel above the law.
In Other Words: Think rules don’t apply to you.
17. Take the stand
Meaning: Speak in court or explain your side.
Within a Sentence: He took the stand to tell the truth. / She took the stand and gave her side.
In Other Words: Speak up in court.
18. Hard time
Meaning: Go to jail.
Within a Sentence: He did hard time for his crime. / They warned him he could face hard time.
In Other Words: Serve time in prison.
19. Get off easy
Meaning: Avoid a big punishment.
Within a Sentence: She got off easy with just a warning. / He didn’t get detention, so he got off easy.
In Other Words: Didn’t get punished much.
20. By the book
Meaning: Follow all rules carefully.
Within a Sentence: She did the project by the book. / He drives by the book.
In Other Words: Follows every rule.
21. Take the law into your own hands
Meaning: Try to punish someone without asking for help from the police or adults.
Within a Sentence: He took the law into his own hands by yelling at the thief. / Don’t take the law into your own hands, tell a teacher.
In Other Words: Try to fix things yourself.
22. Law of the land
Meaning: The rules everyone must follow.
Within a Sentence: Wearing helmets is the law of the land. / In our school, being kind is the law of the land.
In Other Words: The rules in place.
23. Fair trial
Meaning: A chance to explain yourself before being punished.
Within a Sentence: Everyone should get a fair trial. / He asked for a fair trial before the teacher made a decision.
In Other Words: Be heard before being punished.
24. Take the fall
Meaning: Accept the blame, even if you didn’t do it.
Within a Sentence: He took the fall for his team. / She took the fall so her friend wouldn’t get in trouble.
In Other Words: Get blamed.
25. Justice blind
Meaning: Treat everyone the same, no matter who they are.
Within a Sentence: Justice should be blind and fair to all. / The teacher was justice blind and gave the same rule to everyone.
In Other Words: No favorites.
26. Set the record straight
Meaning: Fix a lie or mistake by telling the truth.
Within a Sentence: She set the record straight about the missing homework. / He set the record straight and told what really happened.
In Other Words: Tell the truth to fix a mistake.
27. In hot water
Meaning: In trouble.
Within a Sentence: He was in hot water for copying answers. / She got in hot water after breaking the vase.
In Other Words: In trouble.
28. Serve time
Meaning: Spend time in jail.
Within a Sentence: He served time for stealing. / The man served time for his crime.
In Other Words: Was in jail.
29. Justice will prevail
Meaning: The right thing will win in the end.
Within a Sentence: She believed justice would prevail. / They said justice will prevail and kept trying.
In Other Words: The fair side will win.
30. Take matters into your own hands
Meaning: Try to fix a problem yourself.
Within a Sentence: He took matters into his own hands and cleaned the classroom. / She took matters into her own hands and found the missing book.
In Other Words: Fixed it without help.
31. Hold up in court
Meaning: Be strong enough to prove something is true.
Within a Sentence: His story didn’t hold up in court. / The video helped the truth hold up in court.
In Other Words: Was true enough to use.
32. Justice delayed is justice denied
Meaning: If someone waits too long for fairness, it’s like not getting it.
Within a Sentence: He said justice delayed is justice denied after waiting months. / She wanted a quick answer because justice delayed is justice denied.
In Other Words: Fairness needs to be on time.
33. Clean record
Meaning: No bad marks or trouble in your past.
Within a Sentence: He had a clean record before this mistake. / She was proud of her clean record at school.
In Other Words: Never got in trouble before.
34. Long arm of the law
Meaning: The law can reach anyone, even far away.
Within a Sentence: He thought he was safe, but the long arm of the law found him. / The long arm of the law caught the thief.
In Other Words: Law can catch anyone.
35. Crime and Punishment
Meaning: A crime should always be followed by a fair result.
Within a Sentence: The teacher believed in crime and punishment. / There must be crime and punishment to be fair.
In Other Words: Bad actions have results.
36. Judge a book by its cover
Meaning: Decide something based only on looks.
Within a Sentence: Don’t judge a book by its cover, get to know people. / He looked mean, but don’t judge a book by its cover.
In Other Words: Don’t guess without knowing more.
37. Law and order
Meaning: Rules and peace in a place.
Within a Sentence: The school had law and order. / The leader promised law and order in the town.
In Other Words: Things are fair and calm.
38. Under oath
Meaning: Promise to tell the truth in court.
Within a Sentence: She spoke under oath in court. / He told the truth because he was under oath.
In Other Words: Swore to tell the truth.
39. Equal before the law
Meaning: Everyone should be treated the same.
Within a Sentence: Rich or poor, people are equal before the law. / The rule is that everyone is equal before the law.
In Other Words: Treated the same no matter what.
40. Court of public opinion
Meaning: What people think about someone’s actions.
Within a Sentence: In the court of public opinion, he was guilty. / She was judged in the court of public opinion before the facts came out.
In Other Words: People’s thoughts about what’s right or wrong.
41. Above board
Meaning: Honest and legal.
Within a Sentence: Everything was above board in the contest. / Their deal was above board and fair.
In Other Words: Nothing was hidden or unfair.
42. Break the law
Meaning: Do something illegal.
Within a Sentence: He broke the law by stealing. / It’s wrong to break the law.
In Other Words: Did something against the rules.
43. Caught red-handed
Meaning: Caught while doing something wrong.
Within a Sentence: She was caught red-handed taking cookies. / They caught him red-handed cheating.
In Other Words: Caught in the act.
44. Do the right thing
Meaning: Make the fair or honest choice.
Within a Sentence: He chose to do the right thing and return the wallet. / She did the right thing by telling the truth.
In Other Words: Choose fairness.
45. In cold blood
Meaning: Doing something wrong without feeling sorry.
Within a Sentence: He lied in cold blood. / The act was done in cold blood.
In Other Words: Without care or guilt.
46. Letter of the law
Meaning: The exact words of the law.
Within a Sentence: He followed the letter of the law, but not the spirit. / She obeyed every rule to the letter of the law.
In Other Words: Followed the exact rules.
47. Spirit of the law
Meaning: The idea behind the rule, not just the words.
Within a Sentence: He broke the spirit of the law even if not the rule. / She helped others, following the spirit of the law.
In Other Words: Did what the rule was meant to protect.
48. Take justice into your own hands
Meaning: Try to get even without help from others.
Within a Sentence: He took justice into his own hands and got in trouble. / She warned not to take justice into your own hands.
In Other Words: Try to punish without permission.
49. In the clear
Meaning: Not in trouble anymore.
Within a Sentence: After the truth came out, she was in the clear. / He proved his innocence and was in the clear.
In Other Words: No longer blamed.
50. Turn yourself in
Meaning: Admit you did something wrong and go to the police.
Within a Sentence: He turned himself in after the accident. / She knew she had to turn herself in.
In Other Words: Admit guilt to the police.
51. Do time
Meaning: Spend time in jail.
Within a Sentence: He did time for breaking the law. / She did time and learned her lesson.
In Other Words: Was punished in jail.
52. Hang in the balance
Meaning: Not sure what the outcome will be.
Within a Sentence: The decision hung in the balance. / His future hung in the balance.
In Other Words: Could go either way.
53. Go free
Meaning: Not get punished.
Within a Sentence: He went free after the truth was found. / She got lucky and went free.
In Other Words: Not punished.
54. Letter of the law vs. spirit of the law
Meaning: Following the rule exactly vs. doing what’s fair.
Within a Sentence: He followed the letter, but not the spirit, of the law. / She followed the spirit of the law by being kind.
In Other Words: Words vs. meaning.
55. No one is above the law
Meaning: Everyone must follow the rules.
Within a Sentence: The judge reminded them no one is above the law. / Even famous people are not above the law.
In Other Words: Rules are for everyone.
56. Bring down the gavel
Meaning: End a court decision or rule something.
Within a Sentence: The judge brought down the gavel to close the case. / He brought down the gavel after the final word.
In Other Words: Make it official.
57. Raise an objection
Meaning: Say something is unfair or wrong.
Within a Sentence: The lawyer raised an objection. / She raised an objection about the rule.
In Other Words: Spoke out against something.
58. Uphold the law
Meaning: Support and follow the rules.
Within a Sentence: Police work to uphold the law. / Teachers uphold the school’s rules.
In Other Words: Keep things fair and right.
59. Make amends
Meaning: Try to fix what you did wrong.
Within a Sentence: He made amends by saying sorry. / She made amends by helping clean up.
In Other Words: Make things better after a mistake.
60. Just deserts
Meaning: Get what you deserve, good or bad.
Within a Sentence: The cheater got his just deserts. / She was kind and got her just deserts.
In Other Words: Got what was fair.
True/False Quiz: Idioms for Justice
- If someone is “brought to justice,” it means they were rewarded for being nice.
True / False - Saying “justice is served” means something unfair happened.
True / False - “Face the music” means to accept the punishment for doing something wrong.
True / False - If you “get what’s coming,” you receive a fair result for what you did.
True / False - “Pay the price” means you get paid money for doing good work.
True / False - When “the tables turn,” the person who was losing starts to win.
True / False - If someone says “fair and square,” they mean someone cheated to win.
True / False - “Take the law into your own hands” means letting the police handle the problem.
True / False - “Caught red-handed” means someone was caught doing something wrong.
True / False - If someone “turns themselves in,” they admit they did something wrong.
True / False - Saying “above the law” means a person always follows rules.
True / False - “In the clear” means someone is still in trouble.
True / False - When someone “makes amends,” they try to fix what they did wrong.
True / False - “Just deserts” means someone gets what they deserve.
True / False - If you “break the law,” it means you followed the rules exactly.
True / False
Answers
- False
- False
- True
- True
- False
- True
- False
- False
- True
- True
- False
- False
- True
- True
- False
Scoring Guide
- 15 Correct Answers: Justice Idioms Master!
- 10–14 Correct Answers: You really get justice idioms, nice work!
- 6–9 Correct Answers: You’re learning, keep going!
- 0–5 Correct Answers: Let’s learn about justice idioms together!
Conclusion
Justice is about fairness and doing what’s right. Idioms help us talk about justice in fun and clear ways. Instead of just saying someone did something wrong or right, we can use expressions like “face the music” or “justice is served.”
By learning these idioms, you can better understand what others say and share your own thoughts more easily. Keep using these phrases when you read, write, or talk. They’ll help you sound clear and thoughtful every day.
